ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. ­— The New York Jets made the first move on St. Patrick’s Day.

By then, they knew the landscape of the 2018 NFL Draft. Sitting at the No. 6 overall pick, Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan knew there were at least three quarterbacks with the potential to be franchise guys. They also knew the division rival Buffalo Bills had picks 12 and 21 after swinging a trade with the Bengals. Typically, you don’t see draft-pick trades in March, but the Jets had seen enough to make a bold move and trade three second-rounders to move from No. 6 to No. 3.

The Bills weren’t ready to make such a move. They hadn’t yet met all of the quarterbacks in person or determined how many they would be comfortable taking in the top 10. The Jets knew they would be comfortable with one of the top three. But when draft day rolled around and quarterback Baker Mayfield and running back Saquon Barkley were the first two players off the board, they were ecstatic. USC...